Wife of the Labour Party (LP) Governorship Candidate, Mrs Teslima Eradiri, has commenced campaign to mobilise women for her husband, Mr Udengs Eradiri, in the Nov. 11 election in Bayelsa.
She said after a meeting with LP women leaders in the eight LGAs in Yenagoa on Monday, that they should begin grassroots mobilization in their areas to support her husband.
She said there was a need for them to familiarise with themselves, understand her husband’s vision for the state and take the message to their various communities.
She explained that the LP candidate remained the best for the job, adding that Eradiri would transform Bayelsa from a spending state to an income-generating state for a better life for residents.
She said: “He wants a better life for children. He wants a Bayelsa where people will come to, a state that has something that will attract people. We are not going to be a spending state; by God’s grace we are going to be an income generating state.
She said there must be something bringing people to Bayelsa, where people would be proud to have well-equipped hospitals, best doctors and Industrial base in Yenagoa.
“That is the kind of dream that my husband has for the state. Oil is our major revenue in Nigeria and Bayelsa is the centre of this oil. But now when somebody comes into Bayelsa for the first time, you will begin to wonder if this is the Bayelsa. Is this the Yenagoa? Is this that wealthy state?”
Mrs. Eradiri lamented that Bayelsa had been plagued with bad leaders, adding that it was time to issue them a red card.
She said: “Then you will realise that Bayelsa has been plagued with bad leaders, with greedy people who only want to come in and fend for themselves and their families.
“They will come and marry 10 wives while they are in office with state resources, living lavish lifestyle.
“Udengs is well exposed and well travelled. He is not coming to empower himself. The truth of the matter is that If we don’t do our best in supporting capacity for this state, we may end up leaving a legacy of shame for our children.
“A lot of these our leaders in the state, their children cannot come back to this state to speak. What are you speaking on? Did you go to school in Bayelsa?
“The parents are here but their children are abroad, in different schools. You cannot put children in schools here because even you cannot make it conducive enough for your children to school here.
“You don’t even believe in the educational system, so why are you in government?
“It is these things that have caused deep pain in our heart that has made Udengs come forward and say this is what he wants to change in the state.
“He wants a state that will be better for all of us, it may not be for us today, it will be for the generations coming. It will be for our young children and your grand children.”
She also advised the women on the need to continuously sensitise the electorate, especially at the rural areas, to the processes of voting, to avoid unnecessary mistakes that would lead to cancelation or voiding of votes on the election day.
She said: “Another thing we suggested was to have a sheet of what the ballot paper looks like and make it available to these people in the rural communities because if the people don’t really understand how it looks on the ballot paper, they may make mistakes.
“I noticed many people were making this mistake. They don’t even know the political parties’ logos so they just thumbprint on anyone and go. Some will come and thumb print and fold their ballot papers and the ink spills on another place.
“So that vote is completely invalid, it will look as if the person thumb printed in two places. This is the kind of sensitization we should be doing in our rural communities.”
NAN
